


These Rest Stop Phone Calls

by appalachianemo



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast), The Adventure Zone: Amnesty (Podcast)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Angst?, Found Family, Happy Ending, also. me writing another fic based off a wonder years song? more likely than youd think, there's the tag, this was supposed to be indruck but whoops my hand slipped and it ended up as a found family fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-03
Updated: 2019-03-03
Packaged: 2019-11-08 10:30:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,554
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17979614
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/appalachianemo/pseuds/appalachianemo
Summary: Indrid lost his glasses and took off after Duck punched him. They knew that, but no one knows where he took off to. The only thing they heard was a series of phone calls, made in a rush at payphones and gas stations, with Indrid trying to explain why he can't come home.





	These Rest Stop Phone Calls

**Author's Note:**

> hey. so i wrote this in a rush, only edited half of it, and the formatting sucks ASS. but uhhhh........ enjoy. if you wanna come yell at me about it feel free to swing my by tumblr [ @emomagnusburnsides](http://emomagnusburnsides.tumblr.com)  
> also, the insp for this was me getting the line "these frantic rest stop phone calls don't get answered anymore" from the wonder years song "the devil in my bloodstream"
> 
> this is like... a super late edit. but when there's multiple people talking the italics with the ~ is duck, italics with ^ is aubrey, and the itallics with * is ned.

 

 

 

> _**December 25th, 2018. 10:56 PM Roanoke, VA:** _ Hey, Duck. Merry Christmas and Happy Candlenights, I guess. It's, uhm. It’s Indrid. Mothman? Anyways, I knew you wouldn’t answer and that’s okay. I just– Just wanted to let you that, uhm. That I’m okay… Really. I’m at a rest stop in Virginia? I think? I’m off I-81 and there’s a giant glowing star on the mountain on the other side of this city. I… I know I kind of took off, literally. But I found my way back to the RV and got my other glasses... I ju– I had to leave. I don’t think anyone saw me, but I had to get away. Just in case. I’m sorry Duck. **You have one minute remaining.** I’ve… I’ve gottta go. Again, I’m so sorry Duck. Please forgive me **30 seconds** Tell Aubrey and Ned I’m sorry– **Ten** I’llcallagainsoon. Besafeonthene–

Indrid sighed as the phone cut off and set it back on the receiver. Resting his head against the payphone, he took a deep breath to try and steady himself, then looked out at the valley spread before him. This wasn't where he intended on being tonight. He'd hoped to be buried under a pile of blankets, maybe in his RV. Or maybe at the lodge, or the Cryptonomica, or even Duck's apartment. This was none of the above, but he supposed he squinted right it might as well be Kepler. He'd ended up about three hours southwest of there, and still in the mountains.

He'd been driving north for a few days, trying to make a plan, but he was too panicked. Everyone seemed to be staring at him like they knew. Indrid had never liked Ohio or Pennsylvania anyways, so he turned around and went south. This at least felt more familiar, though not Roanoke itself.

The city lights twinkled in the distance and the far off star was lit up red and white. The lights were winking out, one by one, as people headed to bed. Exhausted from a day of gifts, and family, and big dinners.Sylphs didn't celebrate Candlenights, but Mama had always made a point to have some sort of dinner at the lodge. Indrid had been invited the first decade or so, but then the invites stopped. Indrid was pushed away from the Lodge. That was okay, Mama and Barclay and the other Sylphs didn’t owe him anything. He was used to being alone, even as seer on the Sylvane Court. This year though, he was excruciatingly aware of how alone he was and it felt far, far worse.

 

 

 

 

> **_December 28th, 2018. 9:00 AM. Norfolk, VA:_ **Hey… Duck. Uhm, It’s Indrid again–
> 
> _~Indrid? Bud where are you? Are you okay?_
> 
> Yeah… Yeah it's me, Duck. I'm still in Virginia. I'm out near the coast now. I'm okay.
> 
> _~What the hell, man? You just… Flew off. I’ve- I mean we've all been worried sick about you._
> 
> Yeah, yeah I know. I just… Feel like I can’t come back just yet.
> 
> _~That's bullshit. You'd be fine. You've got me and Ned and Aubrey. Besides no one-_
> 
> Duck, Keith knows. He knows and he's going to tell the rest of the Hornets. I can't come back. They’ll hunt me down.
> 
> _~Indrid is this you knowing they’ll hunt you down or being paranoid?_
> 
> It… It doesn’t matter. I’ve got to go. Be safe… For me?
> 
> …
> 
> ….
> 
> _~Yeah okay…_
> 
> Thanks for answering the phone _._

Earlier that day, Indrid had seen two different outcomes of him returning home. One where the Hornets make an agreement not to hurt him since he didn’t hurt anyone else. And one where they ambushed him in a campground. He was only guessing that Keith told the rest of them. Truth be told, he didn't know _how_ Hollis found out, only that they did. Regardless of Indrid returning or not, he knew things were not going to shake out well for the Pine Guard.

 

 

 

 

> **_January 1st, 2019. 1:00 AM. Blacksburg, VA:_ ** Hhheeeeyyyy, Duck Newton! HAPPY—!!!! It’s…. It’s 2019 my dear!!! How great is that? I’m, uh– Fuck I don’t know where I am! Burg… Something-burg? Who knows? I, uh– Happy New years to you too!!– I went to this… damn bar… It’s called like… Top Stairs or some shit. I’ve never drank like this before, but I feel great! I feel like— king miss you! And I miss Ned and Aubrey! And I really miss Billy… I miss Kepler a lot… **_You have one minute remaining… You h— onds remaining…_ ** I guess I— Soon— Love you—

Indrid set down the phone that he had borrowed and started making his way to the stairs. The world seemed to bend and twist around him, and maybe he wasn't as fine as he told Duck. Indrid carefully picked his way down the steps and across the parking lot to where his Winnebago sat. _God his vision was blurry_. Indrid rubbed his eyes, and while it didn't help, it felt great.

Without thinking, Indrid took his glasses off and started to rub both his eyes with his fists. Only stopping when he heard a scream from behind him. He quickly shoved his glasses back on his face before jumping into the RV and locking the door behind him. Someone had definitely seen him. Indrid wasn’t sure if it was from transforming into a sylph for a moment, or knowing he'd been seen, but he suddenly felt far more sober. He pulled his keys out of his pocket and tried to find the quickest route back to I-81.

 

 

 

 

> **_January 12th, 2019. 11:30 PM. Cary, North Carolina:_ ** _Greetings Friend! You’ve reached the Cryptonomica! Home of all things macabre! If you have any questions about the unexplained or cryptid feel free to drop by our museum located in wild and wonderful Kepler, West Virginia, just off state route 109. Or, feel free to leave a message! And remember, beware the things that go bump in the night!_
> 
> Ned,Aubrey,Duck. It’sIndrid. Iknowyou’rethererecordingSaturdayNightDeadpleasepickup.
> 
> _^Mothboy what have you done?!_
> 
> **_You have one minute remaining_ **
> 
> Aubrey I don’t have a lot of time. Please, just– I’m going to hang up, call me right back.
> 
> _^I don’t know–_
> 
> Ned will!
> 
> **_11:35 PM: You have 5 free minutes._ ** _Indrid Cold, what in the fresh hell have you done?_
> 
> Aubrey please… Can you– Can you put me on speaker phone
> 
> _…_
> 
> _…_
> 
> _*Indrid Mothfucker Cold, what the hell have you done?_
> 
> _~Why does the news say the mothman was spotted on a_ **_college campus?!_ ** _I thought you were more responsible than this?_
> 
> _^Indrid, are you safe? Where are you even calling us from?_
> 
> I’m– I’m not going to lie and say I’m okay. But I’m at a rest stop near Cary, North Carolina. I’ve… I had to change my disguise.
> 
> _*Do you look like Ryan Gosling now, as well? Are you, Billy, and Ryan going to become my newest installation?_
> 
> _^I don’t really think that’s important right now Ned._
> 
> _*I have a brand_ –
> 
> _~Yall, honestly, can_ –
> 
> Guys! Please, I know this is hard for you three, but please focus.
> 
> _~Indrid, you need to come home. Now._
> 
> _^Yeah. Indrid please. We all miss you and we’re worried about you. Even Mama is worried about you, though for different reasons._
> 
> _*I miss my papier-mache moth friend on Saturday nights._
> 
> _**~^Ned!** ~For the love of god, man. ^Come on. _
> 
> _*Fine, fine._ **_One minute remaining._ ** _We all miss you, buddy. You need to come back._
> 
> _…_
> 
> _…_
> 
> I’ve gotta go… Goodbye.

He needed to get out of this city. Fast. Indrid had been on edge ever since that night and he was hoping Duck, Aubrey, and Ned would help relieve that. They turned out to do the exact opposite. Indrid also hadn't realized that Cary connected to the greater Raleigh and that this city was massive. There were too many people around to see something go wrong. Too many variables on what should be smoothly laid out futures.

Indrid hated this running. It reminded him too much of when he first came to Earth. And then again in the 60’s after Point Pleasant and Silver Bridge. He'd give anything to be back in Kepler. There still wouldn't be anyone to talk to, but it was at least a consistent view. A constant space. But Indrid had survived like this before, and he knew he could do it again.

 

 

 

 

> _**January 14th, 2019. 4:30 PM. Wilmington, NC:** Hello this is Amnesty Lodge. _
> 
> Hey, Aubrey. Are you guys having a Pine Guard meeting?
> 
> _^Yeah, we are. You See that?_
> 
> Yes. Though, I’m not sure what it’s about. So that worried me.
> 
> _^Just… Stuff with Thacker and Duck._
> 
> What’s going on with Duck?
> 
> _^If he wants to tell you he will. Not really my place, y’know?_
> 
> Can you at least tell me if he’s injured or hurt? Is he okay?
> 
> _^Yeah. He’s alright in that sense._
> 
> O-okay…
> 
> …
> 
> _^So where are you now?_
> 
> Wilmington, North Carolina. It’s a little warmer here than Kepler.
> 
> _^That’s… Good I guess? …. Listen, Indrid, I’ve gotta get back to this meeting. I suppose it's useless telling you to come home… So… Be safe I guess._
> 
> Yeah, you too Aubs.

Indrid hated the resignation in Aubrey's voice. He'd only heard it one other time, and that was when she talked about her dad. It was a pain he hadn't expected, knowing that Aubrey had… Given up on him coming back. Though, this did nothing to change his mind. Because going back meant Aubrey, or Duck or Ned, could get hurt. No matter how hard Indrid tried to focus on the future and sort through what he Saw, it always ended up poorly

Standing outside the gas station, leaning against the wall of the payphone, Indrid started questioning his own abilities as a seer. He'd always had the innate ability, but he'd been trained on how to hone it, how to see only the more likely futures.. And right now he was violating one of the most basic rules: _Don't become too involved with the subjects of the visions._ It was far too late for him to remain uninvolved with any of them. That ended the second time they came to see him. Now he just needed to figure out how much his feelings were altering his visions.

 

 

 

 

> **_January 15th, 2019. 12:27 PM Pawley’s Island, SC:_ **Hey, Duck. It’s Indrid. I know you’re probably at work right now. I’m on this little barrier island in South Carolina… It makes Kepler look like New York City. There's only about 100 people here. I kind of stuck out when I got here, but they accepted the fact that I was just a wanderer. They gave me some really nice strawberry jam. You'd like it, I think. There's a teeny tiny RV park near here where I can hook up, so I might stay here for a few days. Someone said they need some help with some yard work and they'd pay me for it…
> 
> Oh! This is one of those prepaid phones, by the way. So I don’t have to worry about being cut off… And you could call me back if you wanted to, I suppose… I– I really miss you guys… I miss Kepler… And you... I’m sorry, Duck Newton.

The sun was setting behind Indrid as he sat on the beach. He'd used his last bit of money on the phone, hoping to have some sort of continuous line of communication with Kepler. The quiet town behind him was shut in tight against the winter. The wind whipping sand up against his face and threatening to rip his drawings from his hand.

They weren’t visions this time. Instead just doodles Indrid had made while sitting in restaurants or cooped up in the Winnebago late at night. There were sketches of him and Aubrey charming a bunch of sunglasses into disguises for him. Him and Duck staying up late and cooking in his kitchen. Indrid being a guest, cryptic expert on Saturday Night Dead. All things he’d want to do, should he ever go back to Kepler. It was tempting to let them go so he wouldn't have to keep looking at them, but he decided not to. Humans had their own sort of “vision boards”, but they were things they wanted to happen. Indrid decided that he could make one of those for himself.

 

 

 

> **_January 20th, 2019. 6:20 PM. ???, SC:_ ** _Hi Duck. It’s Indrid again. I’m at a rest stop on 385 somewhere in South Carolina still. I decided to head west for now. It’s somewhat warm here, at least compared to Kepler. The mountains are nice here, too. There aren’t as many pine trees, more… Whatever the opposite of evergreens are. It’s been so long since I’ve been out of Kepler. I've forgotten what it's like to not be recognized whenever I go somewhere. And all of these cities are so big now. Even the small towns are big. Which is nice, I suppose. It’s easier to find certain things in stores because I guess more people are looking for it. But I keep feeling like people recognize me, you know? You probably don’t. I don’t even know. I’m sorry. I thought for sure you’d be back inside after meeting with Minerva, but maybe not. Have a good night Duck._

This rest stop was settled on an overlook, nestled on the side of a mountain. There wasn't much down in the valley, just a few farmhouses spread here and there surrounded by rolling green hills. Indrid had chosen this specific rest stop because he'd been there before. Back just before Point Pleasant, he'd been driving up from the south and pulled off on the side of the road. At the time, the shoulder had just barely been wide enough to fit the Winnebago. He'd stopped around the same time of the evening, but it had been summertime, the sky a brilliant crystal blue and almost swelteringly hot. Now, it was dark and about 20 degrees outside and miserable. The wind bit and stung his cheeks and cut straight through all four sweaters he had on. Indrid climbed back into the Winnebago and slammed the door behind him.

_~*~*~*~*_

Indrid awoke in the middle of the night with different images still flashing through his mind. The air in the Winnebago suddenly felt stifling and he stumbled outside. Each vision ended in a similar fashion: Him looking down through a canopy of trees as one of the Pine Guard lay on their back on the forest floor. Each time, they were not breathing, were not moving. Almost decidedly dead.

 

 

> **_January 21st, 2019. 2:03 AM_ **Duck, oh god. Duck I know you’re asleep and I know you’re not answering my calls right now but I desperately need you to–
> 
> _~Indrid, Indrid take a breath. What’s going on?_
> 
> Oh. Duck thank god. I– I h– I had a bunch of visions and… And in each one s– Someone–
> 
> _~Someone died?_
> 
> Yeah… How did you know?
> 
> _~I had a dream… Or I guess my own vision… Didn’t think I’d get those since losing Minerva,_
> 
> You need to be careful on– Wait. What do you meant ‘lost Minerva’?
> 
> _~The… The planet Minerva was from was destroyed. And I’ve lost all of my Chosen Powers… Now I’m just… Duck the Mundane._
> 
> Duck Newton, you **need** to be careful. Okay? Do not sacrifice yourself for others and do not let Aubrey’s emotions get the best of her. You guys need to stay together. I… I can’t understand everything right now. If I figure anything more out I’ll let you know.
> 
> _~You know, it’d be easier to help if you_ **_came home_ ** _, Indrid._
> 
> Duck…
> 
> _~I know, I know. You can’t… That’s– It’s fine. I’ll call you later. Goodbye Indrid._

          

               

            

 

> **_January 25th, 2019. 4:47 PM:_ **Hey Duck. I’m just kind of driving around Tennessee and Kentucky right now. I miss talking to you guys. Call me when you can.
> 
> **_January 26th, 2019. 8:29 PM:_ **Hello! I made it into Missouri today. Things are going okay. I thought someone was following me for a while, but they weren’t. I still haven’t had any more visions about the abomination next month. I still miss you guys. Be safe Duck.
> 
> **_January 28th, 2019. 7:00 AM:_ **Good morning, Duck. I just, uh. I don’t know. Call me? Please?
> 
> **_February 1st, 2019. 3:26 PM. Lawrence, MO:_ **Ned, I’m so glad you answered the phone. I haven’t been able to get ahold of Duck or Aubrey. Is everything okay?
> 
> _*Hello, friend Indrid! Everything is okay. The hunt isn’t on for another week or so._
> 
> Okay… That’s what I thought. How are things going with Thacker?
> 
> _*Oh, you know. About the same as usual._
> 
> And the Cryptonomica?
> 
> _*A slight influx recently thanks to your stunt on New Years. Are you okay, Indrid? With all this running?_
> 
> O-of course. I’m used to running like this. I haven’t done it in a while, but I have done it.
> 
> _*Just because you’re used to it and you’ve done it before, doesn’t mean you’re okay._
> 
> I– I’m f– I’m really not okay Ned. It’s… Its hard. I miss Kepler, far more than I thought I would.  I miss having a consistent place to call “home” even if it didn’t feel like it. I thought I could just take off again like I used to. I don’t– It’s not– I’m so lonely, Ned…
> 
> _*Yeah? You don’t realize how lonely that life is until you settle down and take off again. Indrid, whether you wanna believe it or not, people care about you here. We’re not gonna let the Hornets do whatever to you. We’ll help protect you because we care about you and we all miss you. Just… Come home Indrid, soon. Please?_
> 
> I’ll… Maybe, okay? Can you tell Duck to call me?
> 
> _*Sure Indy. Be safe._
> 
> I will. Thanks for answering the phone.

          

               

 

> **_February 2nd, 2019. 4:04 AM, Evansville, IN:_ **I know you’re asleep and I’m so sorry. I just– I couldn’t… I had to call. I’m sitting on the side of the highway shaking because I had a vision and I was so distracted I almost drove off the road and–
> 
> _~Indrid… Take a breath._
> 
> Duck… Duck are you okay? Please tell me you’re okay.
> 
> _~Yeah, Indrid I’m okay. I think a better question is, are you?_
> 
> N-no. I’m not. I miss you, Ned, and Aubrey. I miss Kepler. I don’t like running like this Duck. But… But I don't want to be the reason bad things happen to you guys.
> 
> _~Indrid, you are not the reason bad things happen. Bad things happen because we actively go out lookin to kill those bad things, dingus._
> 
> Duck you don’t understand. I keep seeing timelines where I come back and everything becomes a nightmare scenario. And– And I don't– I can't cause more disasters, Duck. I can't be the reason for anymore lost lives. Even when I “helped”, Aubrey almost killed you and Ned almost killed himself. If– If I… If I come back, bad things **will** happen.
> 
> _~Indrid, I'm past asking you to come back. But you were able to give us warnings when things were about to go south. We both know these abominations are getting stronger, so just think what could happen if we don’t get that extra three minutes….. I'll talk to you later Indrid._
> 
> **_February 2nd, 2019. 10:11 AM: Missed call from Duck Newton <3_ **
> 
> **_February 2nd, 2019. 11:56 AM: Missed call from Duck <3_ **
> 
> **_February 2nd, 2019. 1:58 PM: Missed call from Aubs >:3c_ **
> 
> **_February 2nd, 2019. 3:02 PM: Missed call from Crypto-Ned-ica ÒwÓ_ **
> 
> **_February 2nd, 2019. 6:05 PM: Missed call from Duck Newton <3_ **
> 
> **_February 2nd, 2019. 11:05 PM: Missed call from Duck Newton <3_ **
> 
> **_5 new voicemails_ **
> 
> **_First voicemail from:_ ** _Uhh, Duck?_ **_Time: 11:56 AM. Length: 37 seconds._ ** _Hey bud. It's Duck. Shit I already said that. Oh well. You weren't in a great place last night when we hung up and I just wanted to call and check on you… Call me back I guess._
> 
> **_Next Voicemail from:_ ** _Aubrey-Amnesty Lodge- Whatever._ **_Time: 2:00 PM. Length: 20 seconds._ ** _Indrid get your shit together and answer your phone. We're worried… Iloveyoubesafe._
> 
> **_Next voicemail from:_ ** _...Edm- Uh. Ned…. Chicane!_ **_Time: 3:02 PM. Length: 28 seconds._ ** _Hello, uh, Indrid. Th-this is Ned! Duck seems very concerned. It's urgent that you please call one of us back. Uh… Bye._
> 
> **_Next voicemail from:_ ** _It’s fuckin Duck, man._ **_Time: 6:06 PM. Length: 1 minute and 1 second._ ** _I_ _ndrid Cold this is fuckin ridiculous. Just call us back man, shit. I know you're having issues gettin’ it through your thick skull that people actually care about you. But we fuckin’ do and I don’t care if you come home or not. Actually that's bullshit. I do care. We all care. If you're out there on the damn road and something happens, we can't do shit. If you're here we can field all the questions and all the people that might try to come after you. We can’t do that if we don’t even_ **_know where the fuck you are._ ** _Answer your damn phone. Call me back. Something Indrid._
> 
> **_Final voicemail from:_ ** _Duck- And Aubrey and Ned!_ **_Time: 11:05 PM. Length: 2 minutes and 15 seconds._ **
> 
> _~Y’all hush._ _You know what Indrid… Listen, Indrid. We keep saying we want you to come home, and we do. But we've got a bigger issue on our hands right now and… And we can't keep worryin’ ourselves over someone who ain’t even pick up the phone to return a call._
> 
> _^Babe… These… These frantic, rest stop phone calls aren’t… They aren’t cutting it. We can’t go days without hearing from you. We– We need you around. We_ **_want_ ** _you around. We’re… We’re your family and we_ _–_
> 
> _~_ _Aubrey! Aubs, come_ _–_ _Fuck! Forget the stress Ned and I are under. Think about Aubrey! Think about her for a minute Indrid! You walked out on us, on_ **_her._ ** _Do you know what happ_ _–_
> 
> _*Duck, leave. Leave and… Go make sure Aubrey is okay. And just_ _–_ _Let me talk for now._
> 
> _…_
> 
> _*Listen, Indrid, I know how easy it is to keep running from your problems. Especially when you think no one cares about you. The truth is, it’s not easy. You just think it is. But no matter how far, or how long you run… Your problems will catch up to you. Sometimes it’s… The kid whose house you robbed, except she’s grown up and it’s your fault her mom is dead. Sometimes it’s your old partner asking to you to_ _–_ _Listen, Indrid, buddy. You gotta come back. We’ll help you with whatever comes at you. Just please let us_ _–_ **_End of new messages._**

Indrid hadn’t expected his phone to die, or for there to be so many messages. He definitely hadn’t expected everyone to be so worried over a day of silence. Never in a million years would Indrid have imagined a group of people who care about him so much, despite there being no obligation to. After his last phone call with Duck he’d been so focused on getting home that he hadn’t thought about charging his phone. He’d been driving for almost eighteen hours straight before he even remembered he had a phone. It was still another two, as he was pulling into Kepler that he thought about checking for any calls. His hands started to shake as he listened to all the voicemails they’d left.

When he’d been trying to leave Kepler he’d kept seeing visions where they all wanted him back, wanted him to come home. He’d ignored it saying that it was just him being too close to the situation. Sometimes, though, he was just too stupid to let himself actually focus on the likeliness of what he saw. Because, just _sometimes_ , he wanted to think he knew better than the universe. As he parked in front of the Cryptonomica, where it looked like Saturday Night Dead was still happening. He shut the door behind him and made his way to the front door.

Sometimes, even the universe couldn’t predict what would happen. Nothing prepared him for when Aubrey came charging out the front door after him, her fist connecting with his jaw before he even had time to speak.

“You ass!” She had tears streaming down her face. “How fucking dare you? What made you think you could run off like this?”

“Aubrey I’m so–” He was cut off by her grabbing him by the front of his shirt and dragging him inside.

“Just… Just don’t right now Moth Boy.” Aubrey shoved him down into a desk chair as Ned and Duck came out from the back. “You’re gonna sit there and you’re gonna listen to me.”

“Hello Duck, Ned.” He fidgeted with the hem of his shirt for a moment.

“Hey… I’m…” Duck set an awkward hand on his shoulder and gave him a squeeze. “I’m real glad you came back, Indy.”

“Me too. But uh. I think we’ll let Aubrey take it from here.” Ned nodded at Indrid and both of them left the room. Aubrey wheeled back around, and while there may not have been fire in her eyes, there was definitely fire on her hands. That was far more terrifying to Indrid.

“Aubrey, I’m saying this objectively because I know what could happen: Please take a moment to calm your emotions.”

“Hell no, Indrid Cold. You do _not_ get to tell me what to do.” The fire died slightly, and she put her hands on her hips. “What were you thinking, huh? You thought you could– Could just– You think you could just walk out and no one could give a shit? You think you could just ghost on everyone and only send sporadic updates and no one would care?”

“Aubrey, please…”

“I’m not done. Indrid we are your _family_. And family doesn’t do that. If– If someone cares about you, you don’t… You can’t just… You have to hold onto whatever family you have. Because you never know when you might lose it. We know having you around is a risk. Our entire involvement with the Pine Guard is a risk. But it’s one we’re willing to take, because we think it’s worth it. We will fight for you and protect you, despite you being a giant moth with a questionable background, because we love you and think you're worth it. Do you understand, Indrid?”

She didn’t wait for Indrid to answer, probably because he was crying now too. Instead she flung her arms around him, yelling for Ned and Duck to come join them. The universe had a really funny way of playing things out. It almost always went exactly as Indrid Saw it, but Ned, Aubrey, and Duck had an uncanny ability to change things. No matter how many different futures he’d seen, none of them ended with him in a pile of people on the floor, simultaneously being yelled at for being gone and suffocated in hugs for being back. More than anything, he didn’t expect the sincerity of it all: Duck’s enormous smile, or Aubrey’s tears and hugs, or the knowing look Ned gave him. Indrid was just happy to be home.


End file.
